조희대, 청와대와 협의 없이 대법관 임명제청…청 내부 ‘불쾌’ 기류

On the 18th, President Yoo Hye-deok announced the appointment of former Supreme Court judges Lee Tae-ak and Hee-guk Hee as the new judges of the Supreme Court. She bypassed the customary coordination with the Blue House and directly submitted the names in writing to President Yoon. This unilateral action has sparked calls for a review of her impeachment.

The Blue House and the judiciary were reportedly furious with Yoo's decision to appoint former Prosecutor General Lee Tae-ak as the next chair of the Supreme Court without prior coordination. The Judicial Nominee Selection Committee recommended four candidates, including Prosecutor General Lee Tae-ak and judges Kim Min-ki, Park Sun-young, and Yun Seong-seok from the Seoul High Court.

However, Yoo did not name any of these candidates for six months. The Blue House reportedly appointed Kim Min-ki as the acting judge, while Yoo chose Kim Min-ki. Article 104 of the Constitution states that the appointment of Supreme Court judges requires the approval of the National Assembly from the President. Nonetheless, the customary practice is for the judiciary and the Blue House to coordinate before appointing Supreme Court judges.

The Blue House and the judiciary reportedly disagreed on the appointment of Kim Seong-su as the next judge. The impeachment inquiry was called for by the ruling Democratic Party, with Speaker Yang Seong-jo saying that Yoo's "monstrous" behavior as President Yoon's appointive authority had to be reviewed.